Posts tagged “Marines”

Everyone looked amazing, and though I didn’t wear the heels all night, I did get a few compliments on them.

The Marines all looked handsome in their uniforms and Cupcake was very well behaved so the night was a big success.

I got to dance with Bagpiper a few times, even though he was running back and forth onto the stage to run sound. It was nice to be able to dance a couple of songs with him.

Yesterday I was so lazy. I kept meaning to do dishes and laundry, but it never got done. I just kept pushing it off until finally I just gave up on trying to clean and declared Sunday a lazy day of doing nothing productive.

Bagpiper was more productive than I was. He bought a riding lawn mower with the income tax money since our yard is a bit on the large side (and because he’s always wanted one) and yesterday he got to test it out.

I’m pretty sure that mowing the lawn on a riding lawn mower while drinking a beer was on his bucket list, so that’s something he can cross off. He had way too much fun doing the lawn…

Bagpiper was off today and is off again tomorrow, which is nice.

Today I went walking with a friend and our daughters. It was really nice (and definitely motivating) to meet up and walk around base pushing our strollers and having a nice chat. When I got home I ordered my jogging stroller. Bagpiper agreed that since he made a big purchase for himself, I could make one too. It’ll probably be about three weeks to a month before it arrives, but that’s OK. I can’t wait til it arrives!

Since the jogging stroller I decided on was only $135 on Amazon (much cheaper than other brands that were upwards of $300), I’m also ordering (finally) the Knit Picks interchangeable harmony set. SO MUCH FREAKING SQUEE. I’ve always wanted this needle set.

The excuse I’m going to use is that our furniture finally came in and I’ve been unpacking. The other half of that is that I’ve just been a little on the lazy side.

The furniture is mostly put away, with the exception of some stuff in the crafty room/nursery. We still have the loan furniture, so downstairs is crowded, but surprisingly, we still have plenty of space to move around.

Otherwise, there’s really not much new to update about. Bagpiper has been working a lot so we still haven’t had much of a chance to go exploring. He’s currently in Thailand with a few guys in the band doing sound for gigs. And with the exception of a few weird sightings, he seems to be enjoying himself. He won’t be back until the 10th, which is just in time for my second prenatal visit and the premier of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.

Afterward, he’s off again, this time to Guam for about a week. Then he’s home in time for my third prenatal visit — the one that will tell us if we’re having a little boy or a little girl — and then he gets a week of leave, which will probably when we finally get to do some exploring around the island. I’m really hoping to go to the beach. I’ve been hear almost three months and I haven’t gone to the beach yet!

The other big news is that my mother-in-law is getting all the paperwork straightened out to get Sushi out here. It’s looking more and more like she (and the dog) will be out here around mid-July. I think this is right around the time Bagpiper leaves for Guam, so I’m hoping to get the courage together to get my license so I can drive her around while she visits. Driving on the left side of the road still has me a little scared though, so we’ll see. I know eventually I will want to drive, but right now I’m just not ready for it.

The pregnancy is going good. I just entered week 16. All the morning sickness symptoms are long since gone and now all I want to do is eat. Specifically, all I want to eat are chicken pot pies. I can’t get enough of them!

Well, that’s really all that’s going on. Now that we’re more settled, I’m sure I’ll be updating more (and posting more pictures). Tomorrow I’m going to a BBQ with one of the other wives whose husband is also in Thailand. So it’ll be nice to get out of the house and mingle with real people for the first time in the past week, lol.

I’m safe and sound in Okinawa, Japan! After two layovers and about 22 hours in the air, I landed in Okinawa around 10:30pm Wednesday (8:30am Wednesday in Texas). Bagpiper picked me up at the airport (he hitched a ride from a fellow bandsmen and his wife) and they drove us to the hotel on base.

We’ll be in the hotel for the rest of the week and then we’ll move into our off-base house. And in case you haven’t seen a picture of our house…

I'm not even joking. This is seriously our new home.

It’s a two-story Japanese-style home. Two bedrooms, an office and 1.5 bathrooms. Oh, and it’s about 25 yards away from the beach. How amazing is that? We get to move in on Monday, but the Bagpiper is going to try to take me to see the house this weekend.

Meanwhile, I have a lovely view of Camp Foster from my hotel window:

View from hotel room window.

I have not done any official site seeing yet. I got in too late last night, and frankly, after all those hours on airplanes, all I wanted to do was lay down comfortably in a bed and sleep next to my hubby. So far, I have not really experienced any jet-lag. I’m now 14 hours ahead of CST, but I’m glad I got in so late last night, because (hopefully) it will help me adjust to the time difference.

That’s all I have to report now, expect more updates and pictures soon!

It’s been a couple of weeks since the Bagpiper left for Japan. We talk regularly on Skype and on the phone (thank God for international plans!) and he’s doing really well out there.

He says it’s gorgeous; I can’t wait until I’m there to share it with him.

Surprisingly, the Bagpiper didn’t have much jet lag, even though there is a 14 hour time difference. He said he slept the first day, but after that he was good. I think this is partially because he’s anxious to get everything set up before I get there. Speaking of which…

…my flight is reserved for May 17! That’s less than two weeks away!

I’ll fly to Minneapolis first, then Tokyo and arrive in Okinawa late on May 18. It’ll be a lot of time flying, but I’m excited. I plan on filling my eReader with plenty of books so that I have lots of choices to read. I also have some knitting, so I can knit some baby bibs on the plane too.

I’m entering my 8th week (I think), and the nausea comes and goes, but overall I’m doing well. I’m sleepy a lot, so I’m taking a bunch of naps. Once I’m in Okinawa, I’ll make my first prenatal appointment and find out exactly how far along am and all that stuff. I just don’t want to start in Texas and then switch doctors in Japan. To me, it makes more sense to wait an extra week.

I also haven’t begun to practice Japanese. I’m waiting until after Monday — after I take my French final. Then I’ll start studying Japanese. It’s too much work to try to learn two languages at the same time.

Other than that, there isn’t a whole lot going on. Just waiting….and time is going soo slowly.

For awhile it was touch-and-go as to whether or not he would leave today or in May (lots of confusing back and forth), but this morning he called in and they told him that yes, he would be flying out today as originally planned.

Basically, he’s flying out and the paperwork he’s missing —which, technically, he needs this before he can fly out — he can get sorted out when he’s over there.

Such an organized system, no?

Meanwhile, in case you missed the news on Facebook….

I’m pregnant!

Yep! I’m estimating that I’m right around six and a half weeks pregnant, but since most OB/GYNs require that I’m at least eight weeks before I can get my first prenatal, I’m just going to wait until I’m in Okinawa before seeing an OB. This way, I can have one doctor throughout my entire pregnancy.

I should be around nine weeks by the time I flyover seas, so it’s perfect timing. If I fly any later, then I will see an OB here and just explain to them that I’ll be leaving shortly.

But before I worry about that, I have to make it through finals and graduation….

So that’s what’s going on. Lots of big things happening all at once! School projects/tests, Bagpiper leaving, finals, graduation, my flight and a first prenatal visit….all in May (except Bagpiper leaving, but it’s almost May).

My brother also returns in May (hopefully, we’re still waiting on official word on that), so I’m hoping I can see him before I leave. He’s currently in Florida (and judgeship by his Facebook posts, he’s loving it), and will find out next week when he comes home. Here’s hoping it’s not on the same weekend as graduation — cause that day will be busy enough!

Finish cataloging books and movies — If I lose any, I want to know what it was!

Tuesday

Classes from 8a-5p

Sift through closet/clothes.

Wednesday

Class from 11a-12p

Go to base to finish overseas screening. Finally.

Finish sifting through extra bedroom.

Gather books that are for Book Addicts giveaway — pass on to another member of BA on Thursday.

Thursday

Classes from 8a-5p

While I’m in class, Bagpiper is taking the dog to the military vet in order for her to get a microchip and the first rabies shot.

After class, it’s my writer’s night — I’m choosing not to skip this, because I feel like I’ll need a break by Thursday, and my writing shouldn’t have to suffer just because we’re moving!

Friday

Class from 11a-12p

Pack up the essentials into two suitcases and a backpack.

Call electric company and make sure they’re cancelling service as of Tuesday, April 12.

Saturday

Go through the rooms once more and double check that everything left is stuff to be backed.

Double check suitcases — make sure I remember to have all my school stuff set aside.

Write and schedule Book Addicts reviews for May — If I don’t do this by the second week of April, it ain’t getting done and the other BA members will have to cover for me…

Sunday

Rent truck and take bed, extra couch, washer and dryer, food stuffs and a few other things over to Mom’s.

Take suitcases and school stuff over to Mom’s.

Take dog — plus food — over to Mom’s.

Monday

Class from 11a-1:30p

Movers come over at some point (Bagpiper will be home, if I’m not) — EVERYTHING in the apartment gets packed and taken to military storage facility.

Stuff gets weighed. Hopefully we’re not over weight (we can only take a certain amount of lbs overseas — everything extra stays in storage for the next three years). We estimate that we’ll be fine, since we’re not taking the bed, extra couch or washer and dryer, but you never know.

Double check the nooks and crannies and make sure nothing is left behind.

I’ve reached the point of the semester where I just want to fast forward to graduation. I wake up and for the first ten minutes or so it’s a struggle to get out of bed. Not just because the bed is warm and snuggly, but because I just want to be done with school and in Japan! Then I get up and go to class and the feeling passes.

Even though I’ve been kept busy with classes, the Bagpiper and I managed to have some fun last weekend. He had a three day weekend, so Friday we packed up his car and headed out to Possum Kingdom Lake for a camping weekend. We had lots of fun, and I took lots of pictures with my new Nikon D3000.

beautiful morning sky

view from our campsite

bluebonnets on the side of the road

We actually ended up leaving earlier than we planned on Sunday, but that was because of the cold front that came in — in the rush to leave Friday evening, we didn’t pack any extra blankets, sweaters or long pants. Still, we had fun and it was relaxing. I read through three books, for a total of 1,100 pages!

And yesterday, after weeks of waiting, the official orders came in — 36 months in Okinawa.

The Bagpiper has until the end of April to fly out — he’s aiming to leave somewhere in the next two and a half weeks! So now things are going to get REALLY busy. Wednesday we’re making an appointment for Sushi to see the military vet, Friday we’re doing immunizations and sometime next week (I think) some people are going to invade our apartment and pack up all our stuff.

So that’s nice — I don’t have to pack! They do it for us! Woohoo!

Of course, I’m going to be watching like a hawk when they pack up my yarn and books.

This weekend we’re going to buy luggage and pack our necessities in them. I’ll be living out of a suitcase until it’s time for me to fly out and join my husband in Japan. I’m so excited! Graduation can’t come soon enough!